10 Indoor Summer Activities for Busy Kids

COVID + Texas summer = lots of time indoors. It’s too hot to do much outside, and too risky to do anything indoors in a public place. So if you’re starting to lose it a little (like me!), try some of these indoor activities that your kids will love. They’re all a little out of the box- no crafting or baking here- because we’ve all been there, done that at least a thousand times by now. These activities are all screen-free and will engage your kids’ minds and bodies!

THE FLOOR IS LAVA

The new Netflix show, The Floor is Lava, has reinvigorated the classic game that requires no pieces, no boards, and very few rules. The only rule is… don’t touch the ground because THE FLOOR IS LAVA! But really, Mommas, you can set as many or as few rules as you want. I let my kids get a little crazy with this one, but if that’s not your jam, just have them scale it back a little.

IKEA FORTS

At the beginning of quarantine, in true IKEA fashion, IKEA released instructions on how to build six amazing furniture forts. Even if you don’t have the exact pieces required to follow the directions to the letter, you can just fudge it a little with other household items. (Just like building actual IKEA furniture!)

STAIRS SLIDE

Growing up, my friends and I just bumped and tumbled all the way to the bottom of the stairs in sleeping bags. But parents have gotten smarter (and safer) with turning their stairs into indoor slides these days. Check out Everyday Best’s take on turning the stairs into a playground! Don’t forget a helmet!

SOLO CUP BUILDING CONTEST

The other day, we were desperate. But then I remembered the giant bag of red plastic cups we had collecting dust in the pantry. So we turned them into a building contest! And then once the contest turned into tears (I mean…), we just built whatever the kids wanted with them. This was a full-day activity, you guys. I left the cups out and they just kept coming back for more!

DOMINO RALLY

Gather up all those Mexican Train dominos and build a domino rally! Who will be the first domino to fall? My kids like to incorporate a few toys like Hot Wheels cars into their building. Need inspiration? There are tons of domino rally videos on YouTube. Once you’re rally is over, have a domino game!

PLAY SCHOOL

Try as I might, I cannot get my kids to willingly cooperate in summertime academic skills building. But they will listen to each other! Let the kids take turns “teaching” each other to sharpen those academic skills. Provide them with a few materials- worksheets, books, and a white board- and watch them get to work!

PLAY STORE

My kids love to play store! It makes a bit of a mess, but desperate times call for desperate messes. They gather up items like toys or canned goods and packaged items from the pantry and make price tags for each one (small squares of paper they write a price on and tape to the item). Then they arrange the store and take turns “shopping.” Whoever isn’t the shopper is the cashier with our play cash register. If you don’t have play money or a cash register, have the kids make their own!

SHADOW PUPPETS

This is best done in a fort (see the IKEA fort suggestion above) and it’s super simple. Get a flashlight and have fun making interesting animals or other design shadows on the side of the fort or a wall- anywhere it’s dark. For added appeal, they can use Barbies, action figures, stuffies, or anything that will make a fun shadow.

TACKLE BOX ORGANIZATION

Chances are, your kid collects something. And chances are, that something is all over your house. Now is the perfect time to tame that rock/shell/stick/bug/leaf/
feather/jewelry collection! And for some reason, bringing a tackle box into the equation makes kids rise to the occasion. In fact, my kids get their tackle boxes out to rearrange, reorganize, or just admire their collections fairly regularly.

BIRD WATCHING

Step 1- Install a backyard bird feeder. Step 2- If you build it, they will come. Watch from a window as the birds (and probably squirrels) flock to your backyard feeder. Keep a bird watching guidebook on hand to identify your backyard guests. Binoculars are a fun touch as well.

If you speed through these activities and need some more, check out my post, 50 Fun and Free Things to Do When You’re Stuck Inside! Good luck out there, Mommas. May the odds be ever in OUR favor.